pressure

[ presh-er ]

/ ˈprɛʃ ər /

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See synonyms for: pressure / pressured / pressures / pressuring on Thesaurus.com

noun

the exertion of force upon a surface by an object, fluid, etc., in contact with it: the pressure of earth against a wall.

Physics. force per unit area. Symbol: PCompare stress (def. 6).

Meteorology. atmospheric pressure.

Electricity. electromotive force.

the state of being pressed or compressed.

harassment; oppression: the pressures of daily life.

a constraining or compelling force or influence: the social pressures of city life; financial pressure.

urgency, as of affairs or business: He works well under pressure.

Obsolete. that which is impressed.

verb (used with object), pres·sured, pres·sur·ing.

to force (someone) toward a particular end; influence: They pressured him into accepting the contract.

pressurize.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pressure

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) <Latin pressūra.See press¹, -ure

OTHER WORDS FROM pressure

pres·sure·less, adjectivein·ter·pres·sure, adjectivenon·pres·sure, noun, adverbsu·per·pres·sure, noun, adjective

un·der·pres·sure, nounun·pres·sured, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pressure in a sentence

“The institution of marraige [sic] is under attack in our society and it needs to be strengthened,” Bush wrote.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Price for adults to $4250; From 10 years to 14 years to $2125; Under 10 years free,” the listing says.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Under Suleimani several military branches have taken shape [in Iraq] which are run by Iran and the Iranian military,” he said.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

And that means they also fall under the umbrella of programs most likely to get the axe when state and federal budgets are tight.
How to Solve the Policing Crisis|Keli Goff|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Under the one-sixth they appear as slender, highly refractive fibers with double contour and, often, curled or split ends.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The Pontellier and Ratignolle compartments adjoined one another under the same roof.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
He held it, but it was without pressure; without recognizance of the delight with which he once grasped it.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The Majesty on high has a colony and a people on earth, which otherwise is under the supremacy of the Evil One.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Poor Squinty ran and tried to hide under the straw, for he knew the boy was talking about him.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum

British Dictionary definitions for pressure

pressure

/ (ˈprɛʃə) /

noun

the state of pressing or being pressed

the exertion of force by one body on the surface of another

a moral force that compelsto bring pressure to bear

an urgent claim or demand or series of urgent claims or demandsto work under pressure

a burdensome condition that is hard to bearthe pressure of grief

the normal force applied to a unit area of a surface, usually measured in pascals (newtons per square metre), millibars, torr, or atmospheresSymbol: p, P

short for atmospheric pressure, blood pressure

verb

(tr) to constrain or compel, as by the application of moral force

another word for pressurize

Derived forms of pressure

pressureless, adjective

Word Origin for pressure

C14: from Late Latin pressūra a pressing, from Latin premere to press

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for pressure

pressure

[ prĕsh′ər ]

The force per unit area that one region of a gas, liquid, or solid exerts on another. Pressure is usually measured in Pascal units, atmospheres, or pounds per square inch.♦ A substance is said to have negative pressure if some other substance exerts more force per unit area on it than vice versa. Its value is simply the negative of the pressure exerted by the other substance.

Cultural definitions for pressure

pressure

The force exerted on a given area. (See atmospheric pressure.)

notes for pressure

The most familiar measure of pressure is psi (pounds per square inch), used to rate pressure in automobile and bicycle tires.

pressure

Origin of pressure

OTHER WORDS FROM pressure

Words related to pressure

How to use pressure in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pressure

Derived forms of pressure

Word Origin for pressure

Scientific definitions for pressure

Cultural definitions for pressure

notes for pressure